March 20, 2015

My friend Christine is an angel. No matter what happens in life, she invariably thinks of the feelings of others.

One day, she thought about an old Reader’s Digest article that talked about a teacher who had a somewhat unruly class. To change people’s attitudes, the teacher had everyone write the names of all the students in the class on separate pieces of paper.

Underneath each name, the assignment was to write down something you liked about that person. Each person then got the slips of paper with their names on it. Imagine how good each student felt to read all that positive feedback. And yes, doing that exercise changed the entire class’s demeanor – toward each other and, no doubt, toward themselves.

Christine decided to do something similar to brighten the lives of the people she meets.

She printed up some business-size cards with the message, “Thank you! I appreciate you and the way you have helped me today. Life is full of blessings, and you are one of them. Christine.”

“I give them out to waiters, people who hold the elevator open for me, anyone who’s done a good deed,” says Christine, a former space biologist for NASA who lives outside Nashville, Tenn. “I carry them in my wallet, and try to spread them out as much as possible. I just thought it might help people who are having a bad day.”

The responses she’s gotten are more than gratifying.

“I gave one to the receptionist at a doctor’s office, and she clutched it to her chest with tears in her eyes,” Christine says. “She must have been having a really bad day, and needed it.”

Christine’s act of kindness is a reminder of how much we all need to be valued and appreciated, whether it’s through a smile, a kind word, or the gift of a blessing card.

We all have the power to affect the attitudes and behavior of those around us. We can set a tone of respect around ourselves that ripples out into the world.

Imagine, as Christine does, a business environment where managers and employees take the time to verbally appreciate and thank each other for the things they do every day. How would that change people’s attitudes about their colleagues? How would that change attitudes about going to work every day, and the quality of customer service then provided?

Imagine a Congress and White House where government officials looked first at what they admire in other people, rather than judge others by nothing more than a party name.

How would the world change if churches, mosques, and synagogues respected the highest values in each other’s faith, without trying to make everyone else adhere to their beliefs?

Christine’s friendship is a cherished blessing in my life. If her blessing card inspires you to pass some kindness along, please write and let me know. The more good stories we share, the more the world will change… for the better.